Implementing cloud based devops for distributed agile projects

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Implementing Cloud-based DevOps for Distributed Agile

ProjectsThomas Stiehm, CTO

[email protected]


Coveros helps organizations accelerate the delivery of business value through secure, reliable software.

About Coveros


Cloud-based

Cloud Computing - In its essence, Cloud Computing is a massive distributed computing model consisting of three tiers: infrastructure, platform and services, and is about using swarms of computers to deliver unprecedented computing power to people and organizations across the globe. Cloud computing isn't a new technology nor a new architecture... it's a new delivery model.1

1. http://www.mkpress.com/CloudReading


DevOps

DevOps – A combination of Development and Operations, it is a software development method that stresses communication, collaboration and integration between software developers and Information Technology (IT) professionals. DevOps is a response to the interdependence of software development and IT operations. It aims to help an organization rapidly produce software products and services.1

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DevOps


Distributed Agile Projects

Distributed Agile, as the name implies, is a model in which projects execute an Agile Methodology with teams that are distributed across multiple geographies.1

1. . Distributed Agile, DH2A: The Proven Agile Software Development Approach and Toolkit for Geographically Dispersed Teams By: Upadrista Venkatesh


Cloud Computing Services

Cloud Services Models: –Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) vendors

that offer web applications, often with the ability to customize and extend the applications, ex. SalesForce.com

–Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) vendors that give developers the tools to build and host using specific frameworks or services, ex. Google Apps Engine

– Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) vendors that offer access to raw storage and computing resources, ex. Amazon EC2


Features of Cloud Services

Cloud Provisioning Dynamic Computing Infrastructure Self-Service, Self-Managed Platforms Programmatic Control of Server Resources Internet Access Geographic Distribution


Lessons Learned: The Project

The technology parts are challenging The people parts are hard, often really hard Automate everything as early as possible Automation is software, treat it like the

application code – – version– review – test

Test everything, including your automation As you learn error and failure conditions,

automate dealing with them


Lessons Learned: The Vendor

The right cloud vendor can make or break you. Pick one that meets your needs, skip any that don’t provide real cloud services.

There is no perfect cloud platform, they all have problems.

If you pick a cloud provider that expects things to be done their way, do it their way.

If you pick a cloud provider that offers extra services that induce lock-in, consider using their extra services but think about it a lot. It could work better than rolling your own.


Things to Expect Expect to do a lot of learning, teaching,

hand holding and pushing for new practices Expect to explain things multiple times:

issues, processes, practices, and priorities at multiple levels: developers, architects, testers, BAs, Project Managers, Product Managers, Directors, VPs, the client, and end users

Expect confusion, rejection and clinging to old practices

Expect to do a lot of expectation setting and resetting


Things to Expect

Expect to make ultimatums and to get strong pushback to those ultimatums

Expect to fail the first time, with almost everything you put in place

Expect everything to take longer than you planned

Expect the expectation of immediate results and payoffs, work your way through them

Expect your detractors to take credit when things, in the end, succeed


How to Best Leverage the Cloud

Understand your system, application and organizational requirements

Pick a Service Model–SaaS– IaaS–PaaS

Pick a Vendor that suits your requirements, service model and budget

Train your team on the vendors technology and service model


Live in the Cloud

Use Cloud-based service to communications: –Text (IM and Email)–Voice –Video –Collaboration–Source Code Management–Code Review–Project Management Software

Using Cloud services helps to make people around the country or globe equal members of the team and reduces location bias


Living in the Cloud Example

Requirements gathering using Cloud resources such as Google Docs and Sites

Task Management in the Cloud using Trello Project Management in the Cloud using

VersionOne Development in the Cloud using EC2 Development Resources in the Cloud using

GitHub Testing in the Cloud using EC2 Deployment and OPS in the Cloud using

EC2


Enabling Distributed Teams Use Cloud-based technologies to avoid

second class team syndrome Face to Face team building

– In person is best–Video is better than nothing– If your locations don’t “know” each other,

they won’t trust each other–Phone calls aren’t enough

Make sure that all locations have equal opportunities for–Advancement– Interesting Work


What are the Advantages? Ability to focus on your core value Flexibility Time to market Speed of development Less up front cost Proven platforms Scalability or at least scalability patterns No hardware infrastructure to manage Geographic distribution Cheaper?


Cloud Provisioning

Most people think of dynamic production scaling when they think of Cloud provisioning

But it also means:–Full setup and tear down of test

environments–Creation and disposal of development and

test environments based on need–Scaling development and test

environments to fit the task, so if you want to do performance testing on a duplicate of your production environment, you can, without having those resources in-house


Programmatic Control

Programmatic control of self-service APIs allows your team to fully automate setting up and tearing down resources for:–Dynamic scaling of production resources–On-demand creation of development and

test resources, sized to fit the immediate needs

–Fully automating the development, test, and deployment life cycle

Automation is not magic. You have to work at it, maintain it, and manage configuration data.


Self-Service API Automated everything

–Development Setup–Test Setup–Running Tests–Populating Application Data/Test Data–Builds–Deployment–Monitoring/Scaling–Reporting

Be able to rebuild your entire environment, including your development, test tools and servers automatically


Cloud vs. Traditional Development

Vendor lock-in - Your application code will be tied to the vendor's service offering, you will be integrating their API and Services into your code

You are dependent on their development and testing, resources and practices

You don’t have the same level of control, with SaaS and PaaS you are plugging your software extension into the vendor’s system

To get the advantages of cloud platforms you must work within their constraints, using their tools or your tools their way


Trade-Offs

Loss of control: You no longer control the infrastructure. It can go down or change and you have to deal with it and live with it.

The cloud vendor has a different set of priorities than you.

You don’t have to worry about infrastructure. SaaS gets you started very quickly, but it

limits how you can grow. PaaS simplifies your choices but locks you in IaaS can be like a CoLo arrangement with

more control and all of the responsibility.


Derailments

Picking the wrong vendor Picking the wrong service model No automation: development, deployment

test or infrastructure Physical data-center operator mentality No access VM consoles or VM API Staff that is adamantly against change,

management that doesn’t support change Application requirements that don’t fit within

the vendor’s framework


How to Begin Create a plan, short term, near term, long

term. You are going to get it wrong, keep adjusting and resetting expectations.

Focus on priorities. Base priorities on business values,

however you define that. If you don’t show value, you will fail in the long run.

Start simple and get more sophisticated as you go. You are going to have to refactor your work/process/practices anyway as you don’t know what you are doing at first, so rework/refactoring is unavoidable.


How to Begin Work in small, quick steps, adjust your

strategy and tactics around things that work.

Fix pain points. Focus on fixing the pain points of the people that have the most to gain, prove the value to them and their direct management.

Get key stakeholders and influencers on your side. Show them how life will be better for them doing things your way.

Some people will reject the new way of doing things. Route around them and eventually the organization will leave them behind.


Reasons not to use the Cloud

You have a stable Application with little new requirements

You have an infrastructure that meets your needs

You need to have complete control over your entire environment and have little risk tolerance

You have to budget exact resources, and allowing for flexibility and dynamic computing isn’t allowed

There isn’t any benefit to changing your process and practices, for now


Thank You

Implementing cloud based devops for distributed agile projects

Technology

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